Manchester Orchestra has released several extended plays and six studio albums: I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child (2006), Mean Everything to Nothing (2009), Simple Math (2011), Cope (2014) (as well as its accompanying acoustic version, Hope), A Black Mile To The Surface (2017), and The Million Masks of God (2021). They are signed to independent record label Favorite Gentlemen Recordings, which is distributed through Sony Music Entertainment, and Loma Vista Recordings.
Manchester Orchestra originated in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. They are named after the English city Manchester, a place rich in musical history (The Smiths, The Stone Roses, Joy Division, Oasis, New Order, Happy Mondays). Feeling increasingly alienated at his "small-town-Georgia, Christian high school", Hull became so frustrated that he spent his senior year studying at home. Early in their career, the band recorded an album entitled Nobody Sings Anymore. However, it was never released due to the shift in the band's musical direction and personal changes undergone following its recording. The band stated that "the band that made the record was different to the band now." Some of the tracks written for the album were released instead on the EP You Brainstorm, I Brainstorm, but Brilliance Needs a Good Editor.
Following You Brainstorm, I Brainstorm, but Brilliance Needs a Good Editor, Manchester Orchestra recorded and released their debut album I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child. This album gained the attention of the music industry, and eventually led to their signing with Canvasback. The album was released nationwide July 27, 2007. Guitarist Robert McDowell did not appear on this album. The song Wolves At Night was featured in the video game NHL 08.
In October of 2008 the band recorded their second EP, Let My Pride Be What's Left Behind, with producer Dan Hannon and engineer Brad Fisher. It was released October 7, 2008.
In early September 2008, the band announced on their Myspace blog that they had begun recording their second album entitled Mean Everything to Nothing with producer Joe Chicarrelli (The Shins, My Morning Jacket). On February 4, 2009, the band posted a link to a free download of the single I've Got Friends and performed an acoustic version at The Fly’s In The Courtyard Sessions. The album was released April 21, 2009.
On January 26, 2010, the band released a digital split EP with Kevin Devine entitled I Could Be The Only One. Following the release of the Manchester Orchestra/Kevin Devine split EP, it was announced that Kevin Devine would record a full-length album along with the members of Manchester Orchestra later that year, with half the album written by Devine and half by Andy Hull. On April 10, 2010, it was announced the new project's name was Bad Books, and that the album would be released under that moniker, and not "Manchester Orchestra + Kevin Devine" as previously speculated. The self-titled full-length Bad Books album was digitally released on October 19, 2010, and on CD on November 9, 2010.
On March 2010, in an interview with the Dallas Observer, Hull mentioned that the band had begun work on a follow up to 2009's Mean Everything to Nothing tentatively entitled Let Go of Your Sorrowful Groaning. He also said that the band have around 34 songs they are demoing and that in writing this album he was imagining a "spiritual miscarriage". Later that year in an interview with Rip It Up magazine, the band announced that they were in the middle of recording their third full-length album. Although without a title, they explained that the album was completely different to anything they had released in the past. The album was being recorded with Dan Hannon and balanced between Blackbird Studios (Nashville, TN) and their own Favorite Gentlemen Studios (Atlanta, GA).
On October 23, 2010, during an appearance at Radio 104.5 in Philadelphia, following a Bad Books show in support of their recently released self-titled debut album, Manchester Orchestra debuted an acoustic version of the title track of their new album, Simple Math. Originally scheduled for release in March 2011, the band announced in January of 2011 that their third full-length studio album, Simple Math, would be released on May 10, 2011, as well as announcing the album's tracklist and revealing that the album was set to be a concept album.
For more info, check out their official site: http://www.themanchesterorchestra.com/ca/home
Lead SD
Manchester Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the produce aisle with the dead beats
Rustling trying to look busy but they're high like me
There are parts of you, I see you argue with yourself and I think you're crazy, really
We're both running out of days, I pray you get by like me
This is temporary, I just heard I'm gonna be a dad
I'm lost without a single clue as to where I'm headed
I wait for her because without her I'm gonna sink
Would you marry me? Repeat repeat
There's no clarity tomorrow
I'm not even trying to swat those demons away from me
Is it temporary? I don't think I want to be a dad
Nobody knew today would be the day he loses it
I'm lost without a single clue as to where I'm heading
I look for her because without her I'm going to sink
The snow is piling up, our temporary grid
It was just like this, this time last year
There's nothing in the wind, just white up to the trees
And it's been that way for eternity
The grocery, Elise, thirteen, was buried by your arrow
Steep shriek of the softball team, it rewinds me
Will you pray for me? Repent, repeat
I'm a clock and a balance beam
If I die there's nothing I keep that reminds me
Microscopic specks of love being raptured to you
I heard a sound that was paranormal
Must've thought I had begged him to bury me
Bleeding out, better buy one to get one
The snow is piling up, our temporary grid
It was just like this, this time last year
There's nothing in the wind, just white up to the trees
And it's been that way for eternity
The time has come to abide by your folly
It's so unusually bright for the scene
You are the blood in my blood, you pretender
It took your blood on my blood to believe
The song “Lead SD” is a melancholic portrayal of a man who is struggling with addiction and mental health issues. He is haunted by his own demons and sees his life and future as temporary. The lyrics are raw and honest, vividly describing the emptiness and despair he feels. There are references to being lost, to sinking, and to the snow piling up as a metaphor for the overwhelming sadness he faces. In the produce aisle at the grocery store, he sees people trying to look busy but high like him, and finds comfort in knowing he is not alone. He also sees parts of himself in his partner, who argues with herself and he worries is crazy too.
As the song progresses, he reveals that he is going to be a father and is uncertain about it. He also mentions South Dakota, where every winter someone loses it, hinting that even though he wants to believe things will get better, he is aware of the possibility of things falling apart. In the end, he asks for prayers before repeating the phrase “I'm a clock and a balance beam,” emphasizing the fragility of his state of mind. The last line, “It took your blood on my blood to believe,” suggests that he may have found some hope or redemption in a relationship, despite its struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
There are parts of me just stuck inside the grocery
There are parts of my life that I can't move on from and feel stuck in like being in a grocery store.
In the produce aisle with the dead beats
I'm surrounded by people in my life who are just going through the motions and not living to their fullest potential.
Rustling trying to look busy but they're high like me
We try to seem like we're doing something with our lives, but really we're just getting by and getting high to cope with the reality of our situation.
There are parts of you, I see you argue with yourself and I think you're crazy, really
I see that you struggle with inner demons and it concerns me, but I also know that it's a common experience we both share.
We're both running out of days, I pray you get by like me
We are both getting older and time is running out, so I hope that you can survive in our imperfect world like I am surviving.
This is temporary, I just heard I'm gonna be a dad
Even though having a child is a big responsibility, I know that it's only temporary and that life will continue to move forward.
South Dakota, every winter someone loses it
Winter in South Dakota can be tough on people, and it's common for someone to struggle or break down mentally.
I'm lost without a single clue as to where I'm headed
I feel directionless and unsure of where my life is going, which can be a disorienting and lonely feeling.
I wait for her because without her I'm gonna sink
I rely on the presence and support of someone I love to keep me afloat and maintain my mental and emotional health.
Would you marry me? Repeat repeat
I constantly ask myself if committing to a lifelong partnership is the right decision for me, but the answer is never clear.
There's no clarity tomorrow
It's hard to know what the future will hold and what choices will be right for me in terms of career, relationships, and more.
I'm not even trying to swat those demons away from me
I'm not actively fighting against my inner demons or trying to get better, which can be dangerous and lead to further issues down the line.
Is it temporary? I don't think I want to be a dad
I'm not sure if having a child is something that I really want or if it's just a temporary phase that I'm going through.
Nobody knew today would be the day he loses it
It's impossible to predict when someone will break down or give up, and it can happen suddenly and without warning.
The snow is piling up, our temporary grid
The cold and harsh reality of life is weighing down on us and making it difficult to move forward.
It was just like this, this time last year
I feel like I'm stuck in a cycle of repeating the same mistakes and facing the same issues over and over again.
There's nothing in the wind, just white up to the trees
Our lives feel barren and empty, with no sense of purpose or direction that we can sense.
And it's been that way for eternity
It feels like our problems have existed forever and that we will never be able to overcome them.
The grocery, Elise, thirteen, was buried by your arrow
My thoughts are scattered and I struggle to make sense of the tragedies and hardships that I've experienced or seen in my life.
Steep shriek of the softball team, it rewinds me
Certain sounds or memories can trigger traumatic experiences and bring back painful emotions from the past.
Will you pray for me? Repent, repeat
I'm reaching out for help and asking someone to pray for me, but at the same time, I feel like I'm stuck in a never-ending cycle of making mistakes and asking for forgiveness.
I'm a clock and a balance beam
I feel like my existence is a constant struggle to maintain balance and stability, but at the same time, time is always ticking away and I have limited opportunities to get things right.
If I die there's nothing I keep that reminds me
I feel like I have no real legacy or accomplishments that I can be proud of, and that my life will fade away and be forgotten after I'm gone.
Microscopic specks of love being raptured to you
Even though love can be hard to see or quantify, there are tiny, beautiful moments of it that can make life worth living and bring joy to our existence.
I heard a sound that was paranormal
I had an experience that was out of the ordinary and unsettling, possibly related to the supernatural or the unknown.
Must've thought I had begged him to bury me
I feel like someone or something is actively trying to bring me down or end my life, even though I never asked for that kind of fate or punishment.
Bleeding out, better buy one to get one
I feel like I'm slowly losing everything that I once had or wanted, and that I need to find something or someone to hold onto before it's too late.
The time has come to abide by your folly
It's time to accept and confront the mistakes, errors, and shortcomings in my life or my personality, even if it hurts or is uncomfortable.
It's so unusually bright for the scene
Even though things in my life might seem bleak or dark, there are moments of unexpected hope or triumph that can shine brightly and break through the darkness.
You are the blood in my blood, you pretender
I feel like the people around me are pretending to care or love me, and that I'm stuck in relationships that are based on false or incomplete emotions.
It took your blood on my blood to believe
Only by forming deep and authentic connections with the people in my life can I truly believe in their love and support, and feel like I'm part of something meaningful.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: John Andrew Hull
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind